Fastener



May 8, 1923- w 1,454,251

J; F. POWELL FASTENER Original Filed A ril 19, 1920 Patented May 8, 1923.

Ja Es F. POWELL, or FLINT, MICHIGAN. Assreivon or FIFTY-ONE PER vro'ron r. BROWN, cream nson, MICHIGAN.

GENT To ras'rn unn.

To'aZZ whom it may concern: I

Beit known that I, JAMns F. POWELL, a citiiaen of the United State's of America, residing at "Flint-Qin the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have'invente'd certain new and useful Improvements Fastenors, of which the following is a sp'eciiica tion, reference being had therein to the ac companying drawings.

This invention relates to fasteners of that type commonly known as 'a"h'e'avy service fastener used in connection with automobile tops, curtains, military equipment, heavy clothing, luggage, sporting goods'and many other articles of leather or canvas where a rugged, andpositively locking fastener-is required.

My invention has special reference to that type of fastener that is also known as the turn button fastener, and the primary object of ny invention is to combine all the good features of the old types of fasteners, and eleminate some of the objectionable features thereof. For instzincefthe turn button fasteners used in connection with automobile bodies, bows 'and curtainshave socket members which project some distance from their supports, consequently clothing and other things are liable to catch on the same and be torn. Besides, there is the unsightly appearance of such socket members protruding from a highly finished automobile body and when used on any vehicle body for holding curtains the curtains are necessarily spaced from the body or bows and'form an air gap through which'air may pass much to the discomfiture of the occupants of an automobile. 'Then again, the spaced relation in which the curtain is held relative to an A automoble body often permits the curtain to turn the button of a fastener and eventually liberate the-curtain. I Another object of my invention is to providea turn button fasteneriwhereinthe but ton is positively held against'acci'dental displacement after being adjusted, there being a constant pressure against the'button which maintains it as'placed.

:A further object'of my invention is to furnish a'curta'in" or movable member with aturn buttonand anauto'mobile body or stationary memberwith a countersunk socket member, so that the curtain or movable mem' bermay lay'very close or snugly engage the bo'dyor stationary member." l 1 im s Os 6 1222-. Iie Ne The above and other objects are attained by a durable mechanical construction that may assume various forms'i'n the practice (if my invention, and someof. 'theseforms will be hereinafter f escribed and then claimed. Reference will now be had to the drawwh f lg'ure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectionalview of a turn button fastener in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 ma p'lan'of the socket member thereof, showing theturn button member in horizontal section; i I i Fig." 3 is a similar view of a cylindrical form'of socket member; 5 Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the socket member showing a slight modification of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a View of the inner endof abutton member;

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a countersunk socket member;

Figs. 7 and 8 are sideelevations showing different forms of attaching means for the socket members; i l

Fig.9 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of button member; Fig. 10 is :a similar view of a modified formzof socket member, and Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view of a still further modified of buttonimemer. Reference will first be had to Figs. 1., 2 and 5 showing 'a rotatable button member comprising. a finger piece 1, a shank 2 and a cross head 3. The shank 2 is rotatable in an eyelet 4 having a washer 5 held byprongs 6 of said eyelet,and'the' turn button member is held relative to=a curtain or movable memher? by said curtain being sandwiched between the eyelet 4 and "the washer 5 with the prongs 6 extending through the curtain and clenched on the outer 'facezof the washer 5. Of course the curtain-7 h as'an opening registering with'the openings of the eyelet 4 and the washer 5-so as to provide clearance for the shank 2. In this form of turn button the eyelet 4 is oval in plan with'the1fin ger piece 1 oblong and-the'cross head 30f a length corresponding to the mi'no'r axis of the oval eyelet i. I The socket member to which the turnibut ton is a'd'apted'to be" connected "comprises an socket 9 having its outer edges provided with an inturned flange l0, and the inturned edge 01 said flange, at opposed points in the minor axis of the socket 9, are notched or recessed, as at 11. In the socket 9 is an oval pressure or closure plate 12 normally held against the flange 10 or in proximity thereto by the expansive force of a spring 13 in the socket 9 against the inner face of the pressure or closure member or plate 12. The member or plate 12 closes the socket 9 when the turn button is not held thereby and besides excluding the elements the plate or member tends to finish. and add to the appearance of the socket 9.

When attaching the turn button to the socket the cross head 3 is placed against the member 12 and pushed inwardly at the same time said turn button is partially rotated, so that the ends of the cross head 3 will pass under the flange 10, as shown in Fig. 2, and eventually engage in the recesses or notches 11 oi said flange where the cross head 3 will be held by the expansive force 01? the swing 13 against the pressure member 12.

In lieu of the notches or recesses 11 I may form the in'turned flange 10 with inclined converging ways 141, as shown in Fig. 1.

Instead of making the socket member and turn button oval in plan, I may make the socket cylindrical as shown in Fig. 3, the

socket being designated 15 and having its inturned flange 16 provided with opposed open notches 17, so' that the cross head 3 of the turn button may enter the socket 15 and be turned under theflange 16 to be held by a circular pressure member 18 within said socket.

As pointed out in the beginning the socket members may be countersunk and as shown in Fig. 6, a cupshaped socket member 19 is mounted in an opening 20 provided therefor in a frame, support or wall that may torm part of an automobile body. The socket member 19 is devoidoit a base but has an inner end wall 22 provided with a central. boss 23 for centering the inner con volution of an expansion spring .2 1 which exerts a pressure against pressure member 25 within the socket. The outer end otthe socket 19 is formed with a lateral flange or bead 26 which is turned on itself to form an inturned flange 27 against which the pressure member 25 is normally held by the spring 2 1-. The flange 27 may have notches or inclined ways as previously described. With this form of countersunk socket itis apparent that a curtain or movable member can be held practically against the body 21 without any material intervening space. With the outer end of the socket practically flush with the body 21 and closed by the pressure plate 25 there are no protruding portions for clothes or other things to catch on and the socket will not be noticed like a protruding socket forming part of the ordinary turn button fastener. The socket 19 may be pressed in or otherwise fixed relative to the body 21, and any suitable attaching means may be employed for the sockets previously de scribed. For instance, the base 8 of the oval or cylindrical socket may be attached to a support by detachable screws, or as shown in Fig. 8 the base of the socket may have a fixed screw 28. Then again, the socket base may have prongs 29 by which it may be anchored and of course there are mechanical equivalents that may be substituted for such fastening means.

In the fasteners just considered springs are located in the socket members for the closure members, but I may make the socket members, either countersunk or recessed and devoid of springs or closure members by locating the springs in the button members. As an instance of such construction the reference numeral 30 denotes a countersunk socket member that may be irictionally held or fastened by a screw 31 with its outer edges approximately in the plane of an automobile body wall 18 or similar support. The socket member 30 is dished or cupped and formed with a reamed or beaded body 32 terminating in an inturned flange 33 having inclined and notched edges 34 under which a button member is adapted to engage and be held.

The button member for the socket 30 is shown in Fig. 9, wherein an eyelet 35 is connected to a curtain or piece of fabric 36. Rotatable on the eyelet 35 is a hollow finger piece 37 constituting an outer button head and movable in said button is an inner button head 38 carried by a shank 39 which extends through the eyelet 35 and has a cross head d0. Encircling the shank 39 between the head 38 and the bottom of the finger piece is a coiled expansion spring 41 retaining the head 38 normally against the finger piece 37. The finger piece may be rotated relative to the eyelet 35 and held in an adjusted position by teats or detents 42 of the eyelet and finger piece. When the eyelet 37 is placed on the edges 32- of the socket 30 the cross head 10 of the button will protrude into said socket. By rotating the finger piece 37, which imparts movement to the inner head 38, the cross head is caused to travel against the edges 3 1 of the socket member. By reason of these edges being inclined the shank. 39 is shifted longitudinally of the finger piece 37 with the head 38 moving away from the finger piece to place the springs 41 under compression. When the cross head 40 engages in the notches of the socket 30 the expansive force of the spring 11 will hold said cross head locked relative to the socket, and it is in this connection that the spring 11 within the button serves substantially the same purpose as the springs 13 and 24 in the sockets previously referred to.

As a further instance of the spring being located within a button member attention is directed to Fig. 11, showing an eyelet 42 provided with a housing 43' for a spring 44 encircling a button shank 45 extending through the housing and eyelet. The button shank 45 has a flange or pin 46 serving as an abutment for one end of the spring and a plate 47 within the eyelet serves as an abutment for the opposite end of the spring, so that the spring will maintain the shank normally extended or with suflioient pressure thereon to hold the button locked relative to a socket member.

All of the features may be finished to present a neat and attractive appearance, correspond to the finish of an automobile body, curtain or other support, and withstand weather conditions and constant use.

What I claim is l. A fastener comprising an inturned flange, affording an opening, a turn button, a yieldable shank carried by said button adapted to enter the opening, said shank having a configuration such that when engaged by the flange the shank is shifted outwardly from the button, and means in said button exerting a constant pressure against said shank to retain said shankin engagement with said flange.

2. A fastener as characterized in claim 1, wherein said means includes a shank head having walls slidably contacting with said button and by such contact rotatable therewith.

3. As a new article of manufacture, aturn button having a shank of such configuration as to have its inner end anchored by rotation and its outer end rec-iprocated in said button during such rotation.

4. The combination of a wall having an opening, a curtain adapted to be held by said wall, and a turn button carried by said curtain and adapted to be held in said wall opening, said'button having a portion there of reciprocable in' said button by rotation.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4, wherein means constantly exerts pressure in the direction of said curtain to hold said turn button in said socket.

6. Means adapted for connecting memuration which causes it to recede from the outer side of the curtain by rotation, and a shank having movement imparted thereto by said finger piece, said shank having a configuration such that 'it recedes from the inner side of the curtain when being anchored in the wall opening. I Y

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES F. POWELL.

lVitnesses i ANNA M. Donn,

KARL H. BUTLER. 

